Sweet Bun – w.a.n.gmamaread

Li Yun pursed her lips slightly, thinking about whether to say or not. She was exactly in the imperial palace! It's said that the imperial palace in ancient China could not hide even a fly. How could the empress not know that she had just been bullied by others? Along the road she came to the viewing garden, she felt many eyes were staring at her every move!

When Li Yun was still hesitating, the Crown Prince, who had been silent, said slowly, “muhou, you are making a fuss over a trifle. It's nothing more than a joke between several girls. It's too serious to say the word "bully". Sister Yue is not like others. She even dares to argue with fuw.a.n.g. Who can bully her?”

Hearing what the Crown Prince said, those girls chuckled, and their eyes fixed on the Crown Prince. Especially the two girls dressing in pink and green around Princess Qingwan, they seemed to ignore anyone else.

Li Yun focused on the two girls, thinking that the maid had said it was the second daughter of the Rong Royal family and the princess of the Prince Filial family, along with Princess Qingwan, who bullied her, and soon she would be able to take the name of each person.

Hearing what the Crown Prince said, Princess Qingwan didn't seem to be nervous anymore, and she looked at Li Yun with a hint of disdain. She said to the empress, “What the Crown Prince said is true. It's just a joke between girls. People of the Heavenly Saint Dynasty all know that it's only possible that sister Yue bullies other. No one dares to bully her.”

“That's right. Sister Qianyue is not only the treasure of the Yun Royal family, but Your Majesty also loved her dearly. We don't dare to bully her by our courage. We only hope that she would not bully us. A few days ago, an uncle of mine accidentally offended her on the street. She immediately asked someone to beat him up. My uncle was seriously injured and he is still lying on the bed until now. I believe Your Majesty have also heard about it." The girl in pink struggled to remove her sight from the Crown Prince and immediately continued.

"Exactly. I've heard one thing yesterday at my house. It's said that sister Yue went to the w.a.n.gchun Tower (A wh.o.r.ehouse) in West Street for no reason. And then she burned down w.a.n.gchun Tower, and the servants were ordered not to let the people inside out. Hundreds of people in w.a.n.gchun Tower were dead and burned. It's said that many ministers today want to report this accident." The girl in green also removed her sight away from the Crown Prince and looked at Li Yun, gloating.

“How could she do that?” The empress seemed very amazed, looking at Li Yun.

After hearing that the two girls said it seriously, Li Yun frowned slightly and signed in her heart. She didn't expect that she should be charged with committing such a great crime when she just arrived. Previously, Li Yun thought that Yun Qianyue just had a bad temper, while didn't antic.i.p.ate that she was so arrogant that she even beat people and set fire unscrupulously. What Yun Qianyue did was simply… stopping at no evils.

“Of course, it's true. Now the gossip has spread all over the capital city. I'm afraid that all people of the Heavenly Saint Dynasty have already known it. Muhou, you may not hear that because of preparing for the gathering in these two days. In my eyes, even if fuw.a.n.g wants to harbor sister Yue, it's also impossible to block officials' impeachments and the censure of the world. Sister Yue, this time you've committed big trouble. Elder Lord Yun is said to fall ill abed.” Princess Qingwan gloated.

Looking at Li Yun who kept silent for a long time, the empress couldn't judge what she thought from her expression, which made the empress astonished for her calmness. Restraining her surprise, the empress turned to look at the Crown Prince beside her.

The Crown Prince still remained expressionless and had a slight glance at Li Yun, and then said in an emotionless voice, “Indeed so. But fuw.a.n.g didn't hold court today, all impeachments have been sent to the Imperial Study. Ercheng* doesn't know how fuw.a.n.g will disposed of the matter! But my grandfather Elder Lord Yun is really sick because of it.”

“Have you gone to the Yun Royal family to visit Elder Lord Yun? Is his illness serious?” After hearing Elder Lord Yun was ill, the empress' countenance looked bad.

Li Yun thought now that she called the empress aunt, then Lord Yun was the father of the empress. She lowered her head, thinking she was so unfortunate to come across such a thing just when she arrived. It seemed impossible to settle the matter easily.

"Ercheng know that fuw.a.n.g didn't hold court but visited the Yun Royal family today. Grandfather's disease is…" The Crown Prince seemed to weigh his words, at the same time, he took a meaningful look at Li Yun who stood there still and didn't argue for herself. Even though she suffered from denouncements by others, she didn't behave as usual and the Crown Prince couldn't see the slightest grievance and anger on her face. A trace of surprise flas.h.i.+ng through his eyes, he paused for a moment and then continued, “The chief doctor, Elder Zhang of Imperial Academy of Medicine has diagnosed him, saying he was so furious that qi and blood circulation was blocked. Imperial doctor Elder Zhang has prescribed medication for him, and told that he couldn't lose his temper anymore and had to be nursed for a long time. I'm afraid that he would be confined to bed for almost half a month.”

“So serious?” The empress was shocked.

The Crown Prince nodded, and his emotionless face finally changed, showing helplessness. He comforted the empress, “Muhou, don't worry. Imperial doctor Elder Zhang is there, and fuw.a.n.g also sent lots of good medicines to the Yun Royal family. My grandfather is sure to recover soon.”

The empress finally gave a sigh of relief and nodded. Then she turned to look at Li Yun with a serious look, a trace of anger spread across her beautiful eyes, saying, “Yue'er, it's alright that you beat others on the street, but how could you burn down w.a.n.gchun Tower? You've gone too far!”

Li Yun didn't know how to defend herself, because she didn't know what happened yesterday. So she could only lower down her head and remain silent.

“Muhou, you don't know fully about this incident, while ercheng do. You couldn't blame it on sister Yue.” The Fourth Prince interjected at this moment, “According to what ercheng have known, sister Yue was provoked by someone with bad attempts, who said that royal brother went to w.a.n.gchun Tower. Therefore, she went there with some men. But people in w.a.n.gchun Tower were really hateful, as they didn't tell sister Yue the truth and even tried to arrest her to the feudal office. Sister Yue was so irritated that she burned down w.a.n.gchun Tower.”

After that, the Fourth Prince deliberately added, “Muhou you also know that sister Yue treats royal brother whole-heartedly, how can she stand brother going to that place? She will naturally burn down w.a.n.gchun Tower to vent her anger. There's nothing wrong about her deeds, how could royal brother be charmed by those fox women in w.a.n.gchun Tower?"

"Is that so?" The empress frowned and turned to the Crown Prince next to her.

The Crown Prince's deep phoenix eyes focused on the Fourth Prince, cold and sharp. He didn't reply to the empress.

The Fourth Prince neglected his sight, turned around and asked Li Yun, “I was not present yesterday, but I heard about the whole thing. Is this the case, sister Yue?”

Their talking had already given Li Yun enough time to think over. She then looked at the Fourth Prince and then the empress and finally fixed her eyes on the Crown Prince. Her expressionless face was suddenly full of grievance and unwillingness, tears were going to brim her eyes, but she tried her best to hold back the tears. After just a glance, she lowered her head again. She didn't say a word, but no doubt her expression was more powerful than a thousand words.

The Crown Prince was shocked.

While the empress saw Li Yun's wronged look, she immediately believed the Fourth Prince's words. As long as it concerned the Crown Prince, everyone knew that her niece would do whatever crazy things – no wonder she would burn down that w.a.n.gchun Tower. Thinking of this, she frowned at the Crown Prince disagreeably, and said with anger, “Horseplay! You are the dignified Crown Prince, how can you go to that place? Not afraid of tainting your status!?”

Translator's notes:

*: (historical) Term of address for the emperor or king used by his children: father.

*: (archaic Chinese) A first person p.r.o.noun employed by a male sovereign when speaking to an empress mother, queen mother, empress dowager, queen dowager, or the like.